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If you’ve never used a stump grinder before, it can be hard to picture what the end result will be. You start with a stump, you end up with . . . what exactly? A crater? A pile of wood chips? You want to know before you invest in your own stump grinder and attack the pesky stumps on your property.

The end result is basically a pile of wood chips, with the stump itself shaved to ground level or below.

Below ground, the stump dissipates into a complex root system, usually emanating from one large taproot. When you grind away the aboveground stump, the taproot remains, but will eventually rot away. So you may still see the top of the taproot, even when the stump itself is ground away to an inch or two below ground level. This is easily covered with soil or sod, rendering it invisible.

The wood chips left behind from grinding the aboveground portion of the stump away can be brushed away, or left to decompose on their own.

Stump grinding is the single easiest, fastest way to remove stumps on your property. No waiting around for chemicals to work their magic, no digging roots out by hand. And the end result is as if there had never been a tree there to begin with.

A chainsaw is a cost-effective and time saving tool for wood cutting. Owning a chainsaw allows you to skip the rental shops and expensive contractors and use your machine on your own terms. By spending a little time upfront, you can ﬁnd the chainsaw that ﬁts your needs exactly and become an expert on how to use it.

Like any piece of equipment, knowing what chainsaw you should buy depends on how often you’ll be using it and for what tasks. There are high-powered, gas-fueled chainsaws with enough power to take down a small forest, but if you are a homeowner who wants to do just a bit of light pruning or trimming, a lightweight, electric model might suit you better. Be warned, there is an inherent tradeoff between price and power. A machine with a higher-capacity engine and more cutting power will likely be more expensive than an electric model. To make sure you have the best chainsaw for your needs, assess how often you will use your chainsaw and what kinds of projects you intend to tackle to make sure your investment is worthwhile.

Another factor to consider when searching for a chainsaw is the size of the wood you will be cutting. Pay attention to the bar length, the distance from the cutting tip to where the chain enters the chainsaw housing. This measurement determines what size wood you can cut. A chainsaw can cut twice its bar length—for example, a saw with a 20-inch bar can cut through a 40-inch log. However, in the longer the bar length, the heavier it becomes. Because of safety considerations, buying a chainsaw larger than 20 inches is generally not recommended for homeowners.

As you continue with your selection process, it’s important to keep your comfort and ability in mind. A chainsaw is a powerful and dangerous piece of equipment that will produce serious consequences if not handled property. Select a chainsaw that is at a comfortable weight you can manage.

Electric Chainsaws

Lightweight, easy to start, and quieter than their gas-powered counterparts, electric chainsaws are ideal for light jobs such as pruning or yard work. However, most electric models run on a cord that must be plugged into an electrical outlet, confining you to the area surrounding your home. Electric chainsaws are quieter and require less maintenance than gas-powered units, which makes them a convenient option for homeowners with a few light tasks.

Gas-Powered Chainsaws

Gas powered chainsaws offer more powerful cutting and a broader range of bar lengths, making them ideal for heavyduty use. Powered by a mobile source of fuel, you can cut wood anywhere without being chained to an external power source. However, their heavier weights and extended bar lengths can cause operators to fatigue easily, requiring much more effort to use. Gas chainsaws are generally categorized by weight. Lightweight saws feature 8 to 12 inch guide bars and are perfect for the homeowner who has plans to cut small trees and branches less than a foot diameter. Midweight saws with guide bars up to 20 inches are good for the homeowner who will be doing frequent log cutting or felling of trees. Heavy weight chainsaws, those with guide bars more than 20 inches, are recommended for professional use only.

Pole Saws

Pole chainsaws are basically a small chainsaw on a pole. They are not terribly useful if you are need to cut a cord of wood but they are indispensable if you are trying to reach limbs high up on a tree. Depending on the height of the tree limb you are looking to remove, pole chainsaws eliminate the need to climb on ladder or climb up into the tree to make the cut. With a pole chainsaw, you can safely trim and prune with your feet ﬁrmly planted on the ground. Pole chainsaws are available in high-powered gas, battery, and lightweight corded electric. Most pole saws come equipped with poles that extend reach out at least 8-15 feet.

To make the best investment, try to ﬁnd a compromise between weight and power in a model that will ﬁ t your budget. Keep your comfort and safety in mind throughout the entire buying process. At Power Equipment Plus, we have the largest selection of chainsaws in the marketplace and would be happy to talk through the best machine for you. Call our chainsaw specialists at 1- 800-550-8780, or go online at www.PEPlus.com. With over 25 years of experience with power equipment innovation, manufacturing, and service, we can help you with all of your property care needs.

Virtually everywhere in the US, and particularly in the wettest regions, lawns can easily become dotted with lawn mushrooms. These pests are not only unbecoming to an otherwise pristine lawn, but can be very harmful to children and pets because eating them is, in most cases, extremely toxic.

You can’t keep mushroom spores from flying into your yard from other places, but you can create an environment where they won’t want to grow. They will thrive in lawns that are damp, lacking in sunlight, and have a lot of organic matter decomposing in the soil. When they do appear, simply removing the visible part of the mushroom, unfortunately, does not kill it completely. It leaves the underground mycelia, which will continue to produce more above ground mushrooms. The best way to prevent them, then, is to ensure that your lawn is an inhospitable environment for fungi. Here are three smart tactics for preventing lawn mushrooms:

1. Aerate your lawn.

When you aerate your lawn, you allow water that would normally sit above the ground to sink deep into the soil, accessing the roots of the fescues. This is not only great for your lawn (more water = greener, healthier grass), but also a great way to prevent mushrooms, which thrive in wet, stagnant conditions.

2. Remove lawn debris.

Because fungi like places that are damp, dark, and stagnant, they can thrive under the leaves and other yard debris that cover your lawn every autumn. Especially if that layer of leaves is allowed to sit and fester over the winter, the chance of mushrooms popping up next spring or summer rises significantly. To prevent them, be sure to remove all of the leaf cover before winter, especially if your locale gets a lot of rain. A leaf vacuum is by far the easiest way to achieve this, particularly for large properties. And unlike raking, leaf vacuums create suction that helps to dry the above ground portion of the lawn, further helping prevent lawn mushrooms.

3. Pluck ’em when you see ’em.

Each mushroom on your lawn has the capacity to spread its spores far and wide, producing even more mushrooms. While removing the above ground portion of the mushroom doesn’t solve the problem, it does help keep those spores from spreading. So when you see them, remove lawn mushrooms and dispose of them to keep the spores from spreading even more.